


Nothing Burns Like Lies

by xlntnat



Category: Phan, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Chris Kendall - Freeform, D&P - Freeform, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, Dan Howell - Freeform, Love, M/M, PJ Liguori - Freeform, Phan - Freeform, Phandom - Freeform, Phanfiction, Phil Lester - Freeform, Superpowers, Witchcraft, dan & phil - Freeform, howell - Freeform, howlter, lester - Freeform, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:33:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9100570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xlntnat/pseuds/xlntnat
Summary: Phil has just transferred to Fieldwaters Academy after being bullied throughout his Junior high and high school years for his sexuality. His roommate, Dan Howell is no different from the typical bully, or at least that's what Phil thinks. When Phil discovers that Dan has abilities unlike regular humans, the two friends struggle with their new found relationship.





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies for such a short first chapter, but trust me, there will be longer, more detailed chapters to come. I hope you enjoy this phanfiction as much as I enjoy writing it. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Phil listened to the patter of rain on his car window as he came nearer to his destination. His mum had finally agreed to let him change schools after realizing all of the torment Phil had to endure at his last few schools.

 Why is being gay so horrible? Phil thought to himself. In the end, we're all the same. Every single human ends up with the sex/gender that pleases them most.

Phil let out a sigh as his driver drove closer and closer towards his new school; Fieldwaters Academy to be exact.

Phil got out of the car and grabbed his luggage when he was close to the front office. From what he could see, there were 2 buildings on the right of the office building and multiple, smaller buildings on the left side. He assumed they were the dorms and the classrooms respectively.

Phil quickly made his way inside the office, trying desperately to avoid the rain, but failing miserably. Inside, he saw large, bold letters reading 'Fieldwaters Academy.' He noticed that the inside décor consisted mainly of floral designs.

there was a medium-sized, plain white couch sitting against the wall with a long stretched out desk beside it, which he assumed was the reception desk. He noticed a large Victorian bookcase opposite the couch with large, dusty books within it.

"How can I help you?" Said a scratchy, somewhat used voice. 

Phil noticed a lady most likely in her 50s sitting behind the wooden desk. She had brown hair that was tied into a sock bun and she wore black glasses. 

"Yes, my name is Phil Lester and I just transferred to Fieldwaters Academy." Phil said in a slightly shy voice. He wasn't very use to interacting with people. In fact, he had very little friends growing up, but was always kind to people regardless.

"Oh yes. I was told we'd be getting a transfer student." She replied joyfully. She began typing on the computer sitting in front of her and printed out what looked like schedule. "Give me a second while I get your dorm number and roommate." She handed Phil the paper and quickly made her way into another room.

Phil read over his schedule carefully and stopped when he saw French class. That's strange. He thought, I'm not familiar with French, but I might as well give it a try.

The lady came back with another paper in her hand and she handed it to Phil. It read 'Room 48B.' 

"So, who's my roommate?" Phil asked casually. He grew suspicious when the lady gave a weak smile.

"Daniel Howell." She replied sweetly. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine." She added reassuringly. 

"Thank you, I guess I'll be off then." Phil replied happily.

He left the office building and made his way to the small building that read 'Boy's dorm rooms.'

Once inside, Phil noticed posters multiple posters that promoted clubs such Cooking club, Gardening club, and Drama club. He continued to roam the empty halls until he came across the room he was looking for.

He entered room 48B to find that the room was perfectly symmetrical with two beds, two nightstands, and two wardrobes. The only difference was that the left side of the room had posters consisting of bands such as P!atd, My Chemical Romance, and Fob. 

Phil guessed that this was his roommate's side and walked over to the vacant bed. At least he has good taste in music. Phil thought as he began to unpack.

Once he was nearly finished, the door swung open to reveal a tall, brown-haired guy with chocolate brown eyes and a fringe almost exactly like Phil's. The only difference was that this Stranger's fringe was to the right of his face while Phil's was to the left. Phil assumed this was his roommate, Dan Howell.

"Who are you?" Dan said with a cold gaze that was full of hatred. 

Phil just smiled and said, "Hi, my name is Phil Lester and I was told you would be my roommate. I just transferred to Fieldwaters Academy, you're Dan Howell, yes?" Phil tried to sound as polite as possible, intending to overpower the hate in Dan's eyes.

Dan narrowed his eyes and said, "Yeah, that's me. New roommate, hm?" A tiny smirk formed at Dan's lips and he proceeded to add, "Just stay out my way if you know what's good for you."

Phil grinned and replied with a, "If that's what you'd like." 

Dan just glared at him for a few moments before officially leaving the room. Phil was always taught to be kind to everyone despite how horrible they are. Besides, you never know. Maybe they have something going on in their life.

Phil finished unpacking and decided to take a nap. He was utterly exhausted from the 3 hour drive it took to get here.

Phil hoped that his first day would bring some new friends and a fresh start.


	2. Ingenuous

Phil woke to the soft snoring of Dan in the middle of the night. 

It had been a couple of days since Phil had transferred to Fieldwaters Academy and he had made a generous amount of friends within his classes.

He found out that the school had mini shops and a cafe where students were allowed to hangout after classes. Phil himself, however, mainly hung out in the school library; He had always been a bookworm at heart.

He and Dan, however, never really talked. In fact, it was rare to find that Dan slept in the dorm at all. He was always gone, or had some strange excuse for not going out with friends.

Phil didn't really mind, however. Regardless of Dan's glare whenever he walked into the same room as him, Phil always greeted him with a smile or a, 'hello.'

Phil stretched and pulled his duvet over him once more, trying to savor the warmth it gave him. He had checked the time and realized that he only had an hour worth of sleep left. He wasn't able to go back to sleep, so he decided to just lay there and wait for Dan to wake up.

After what seemed like a century, Phil accidentally drifted off to sleep and woke once more to Dan's rough shake on his shoulder.

"What is it." Phil grumbled, still trying to wake up.

"Unless you're planning to skip class, you should start getting ready." Said the voice of Dan, still in a low mumble as if he'd just woken up.

Phil turned over to see Dan standing in front of him with only his boxers on. Phil could feel his face growing bright pink and quickly jumped out of bed to get his uniform on. He desperately tried to hide his face, but inside he knew Dan had seen.

What's wrong with me? Phil asked himself  questioningly. I should be focusing on keeping my sexuality a secret, not making it painfully obvious.

When Phil had finished getting dressed he turned to Dan only to find a hard, stone cold glare hidden behind narrowed eyes.

"Bye." Phil said before leaving in an almost monotone voice.

He quickly left and went to the dining hall where he and a numerous amount of students had breakfast. He was sat next to one of his first, newly made friends, Chris Kendall.

"So, how are you getting along with your first few days here?" Chris asked as Phil sat down with a piece of bread and a bowl full of cereal on his tray.

"Pretty well." Phil said in a distant voice. He still couldn't shake the feeling he had felt that morning with Dan.

Chris noticed that Phil wasn't paying as much attention and asked what was wrong.

Of course, Phil wasn't in the mood to tell him what had happened and instead smiled. "Nothing, just a little homesick." 

Chris chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I felt that way when I first got here, but don't worry. You're going to be just fine."

Phil was reassured by Chris's positive attitude and continued his day as usual.

In his Chemistry class, he was partnered with a girl that had short, silver hair and beautiful brown eyes.

"Hello!" She said in a sweet, enthusiastic voice, "My name is Cat."

"Like the animal?" Phil joked, and was surprised at her reply.

"Yes, actually. My parents had a gray cat that they really liked and I was named after it." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Phil was overcome with joy at this girl's kindness and knew that they would instantly become friends.

They continued to dissect a human heart and compared it to the heart of a cow. Cat had to sometimes take a break, however, clearly not use to dissecting animal parts.

"We have French together, right?" Cat asked, trying to keep her eyes off of the human organ in front of her.

"I think so." Phil replied, trying to get as much done, seeing as Cat was unable to really do anything.

He listened as the bell went off to signal that class was over. Just one more class and then he could go back to his dorm.

By the time his next class was over, Phil was already exhausted and made his way back to his dorm room, only to find Dan laughing at some photos he found in Phil's nightstand drawer. 

Phil was horrified at the sight, the photos being pictures of him and his ex boyfriend.

"And what are these?" Dan snickered, clearly amused at the photographs he was holding.

Phil tried to think of an excuse, but found that it was pointless as in the picture was Phil kissing his 'boyfriend' on the cheek.

I could play it off as a friendly kiss, Phil thought urgently. No, that would never work. Dan isn't that gullible.

"That's my ex.." Phil eventually decided he was better off telling the truth than lying and making it worse.

"So you're gay?" Dan's lips curled into a vicious smile and Phil felt himself growing hot with embarrassment. "No wonder you couldn't keep your eyes off me this morning."

"It's not like that.." Phil choked out, trying to sound confident, but failing miserably.

Dan narrowed his eyes slightly before continuing to mock Phil. Only then did his eyes spark up.

Dan slowly glanced at the photographs that now lay beside him and then at Phil. Dan picked up the photos and glared at Phil. He then tore them to shreds and tossed them into the trash can besides Phil's nightstand.

Phil couldn't help but let a tear escape his eye. Those were the only reminders he had of his ex; The first boyfriend he ever had.

Dan snickered at Phil's lack of confidence before saying, "You worthless piece of shit."

That did it. He was use to being called loser, dumb, and weird, but not worthless.. 

"Hey, are you crying?" Dan said in an almost regretful tone, "Hey, look. I'm sor-"

Phil stormed out of the dorm room before Dan could finish his apology. He didn't care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from this living hell.

Before he got to the dorm entrance, he collided with another body. Phil looked up to find a curly-haired brunette with emerald green eyes.

"Sorry mate, didn't see you there." The stranger spoke with a kind voice. "Let me help you up."

"T-thanks.." Phil stuttered a bit, consciously aware that he still had tears streaming down his rosy cheeks.

"Are you alright? You're crying." The stranger said.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Phil replied, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.

"If you say so. I'm PJ, by the way, but you can call me Peej." He said

"I'm Phil."

"Phil Lester, the transfer student? You're in my History class." 

"Yeah." Phil gave a weak smile 

"Well, I'm going to the campus cafe, wanna come with?" PJ asked casually.

"Sure." Phil gave a warm smile and they both headed for the dorm entrance. 

It was nearly 4pm by the time they got there and the sun was preparing to go down, mainly due to daylight savings. 

They both ordered their drinks and sat at a booth close to the window.

"So, I didn't really want to bring it up, but why were you crying when you bumped into me? Surely it wasn't just 'nothing'" PJ said, obviously not seeming intrusive, but curious enough.

"Well my roommate, Dan Howell, found a picture of me and my ex.." Phil began

"So?" PJ seemed completely unaffected by the news.

"Well.. You see, it was my boyfriend." Phil tried not to make eye-contact with the shining, emerald green eyes.

"So you're gay?" PJ asked, "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, at my last school, I was bullied for it. That's sort of why I transferred." Phil replied softly.

"Oh.. Well, here at Fieldwaters Academy It's different. We treat everyone equally, with the exception of Dan of course." Peej said with a sigh.

"Really?" Phil asked timidly.

"Trust me, there are more people like you. You just have to look for them." PJ gave a slight wink and Phil didn't need to ask to know what he meant.

"You mean, you're gay too?" Phil said in a hushed voice.

Peej gave an amused look at Phil and replied, "Well yeah, but you don't have to be so secretive about it. Almost everyone already knows I'm queer."

"I wish I could be that confident." Phil sighed.

"You'll get there." PJ smiled and added, "I have to go, but I'm sure we'll hangout again soon."

"Alright, thanks Peej." Phil gave him a hug and sat back down to finish his vanilla bean frappé.

Once he was finished, Phil decided to go for a walk. It was already dark out and he liked the moonlight scenery.

After walking for about 15 minutes, Phil heard a loud crash behind a large bush. Phil being Phil went to go check it out, staying additionally quiet.

He peeked behind the bush to find an unconscious Dan lying directly beside it. How did he get here? Phil thought curiously to himself.

Dan let out a small groan and Phil couldn't help but feel concerned, so he gently picked up Dan and headed for the dorm buildings.

By the time they got there, Phil's arms ached from carrying Dan bridal style for 15 minutes. He gently set Dan on his bed and covered him in his duvet. 

Dan looked so peaceful asleep. Phil couldn't help but feel a bit overprotective of Dan and his lips curled into a small smile.

Dan let out another groan and turned over to face Phil. Phil decided that it was time for him to get some rest as well.

He got up and intended to walk over to his wardrobe when he felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him back.

"Phil?" Dan croaked.

Phil looked at Dan and replied, "Yes?"

"Don't go."

Phil didn't know what to say. He didn't like Dan, but what was he suppose to do?

Eventually, Phil agreed and laid down beside Dan. He gently covered himself in the duvet, being careful not to take to much of it from Dan, and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Hidden Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've come up with a better schedule for uploading seeing that school had just started once more. I have decided that I will upload every Saturday or Sunday unless I happen to finish a chapter earlier than that. I've also decided to try and get more done with my other Phanfictions. I've recently gotten permission to write Avoiding Fate, by 1998sims, but I've found some difficulties seeing as it is a sims series. Hopefully I can finish it by March. (: thanks for reading my lovelies

The sun shone extremely bright the following Saturday morning. Phil had gotten up early and went to the campus cafe for breakfast.

It had been a couple of days since he found Dan in the bush, and he was reluctant to talk about it whenever Phil brought it up.

Phil was actually dying from curiosity, but he didn't want to intrude on Dan's privacy. Especially if Dan wasn't comfortable with it.

"Hey, Phil." Phil was drawn out of his thoughts by a voice belonging to Chris.

"Hey." Phil said, not showing much emotion in his reply.

"Is something wrong? You're normally not this zoned out." 

"Just dealing with a lot of school work." Phil lied.

"That can be tough, but trust me, it'll get easier throughout the year." Chris replied 

Phil smiled and left a tip on the table before leaving the cafe with Chris. It was only 8am and Phil wasn't sure whether he wanted to go back to his dorm or stay out a bit longer. 

He knew that if he went back, he'd find a sleeping Dan still in bed, but if he continued outside, he'd lose his chance to talk to Dan about the recent event.

When him and Chris said their goodbye, Phil found himself instinctively heading for the dorm buildings. Please let him still be asleep, Phil thought pleadingly.

Just to his luck, he found Dan reading on his bed. He seemed to not notice Phil, or he just decided to ignore his presence.

"Hey.." Phil said after a few moments of silence.

Dan still refused to acknowledge Phil.

"About Monday-" Phil began, but was abruptly cut off by a snort.

"Can't you take a hint?" Dan snarled. "I don't want to talk about it."

Phil frowned at Dan's sour comment, and surprisingly, he noticed a soft glint of fear flash in Dan's eyes when he mentioned the topic.

What is he hiding? Phil thought suspiciously to himself.

"Fine. I'm not going to push you, but please be careful." Phil said, not wanting to make Dan any madder than he already was.

Unfortunately for him, Dan's eyes lit with fiery. "I don't need you worrying about me." He snapped.

Phil gave him an uncertain look and continued over to his bed. He decided he might as well catch up on his reading too.

After about 10 minutes of awkward silence, Dan closed his book suddenly and got up.

"I'm going out." Dan said briefly.

"Okay." Phil hesitated a bit before adding, "Where to?"

"Just... Out." Dan said, slightly emotionless.

"Alright, be careful." Phil said, but Dan was already out the door. Why do I bother trying? Phil thought miserably to himself.

It hadn't been half an hour before Phil began to feel bored. He got tired of his book and started playing Crossy Road on his phone when there was a knock on the door.

Phil groaned, having to get up from his comfortable position. 

"Yes?" Phil said as he opened the door to find the receptionist he first met when he got there.

"Sorry to be a bother, but the headmaster wanted me to let you know that your parents are visiting tomorrow." She said in the same scratchy voice that she had when they first encountered each other.

"Oh, thank you for telling me." Phil said, slightly unsure on whether he wanted to see his parents.

His mom was extremely supportive of his sexuality, but his Dad was different. He always told Phil that he accepted his sexuality, but always had that hint of disapproval in his voice whenever it was brought up. 

Phil pushed the thought to the back of his head and shut the door when the girl at left.

It was already 4pm and Phil had decided to go for another walk. He wanted to get his mind off of things. Off of Dan, off of his parent's visit, off of all the stress he's been dealing with. 

Normally, he was a cheery, positive person, but he wasn't able to shake the emotions that he felt. He was walking past the music hall when he heard the sound of a piano. 

The sound was incredibly beautiful and relaxing to Phil. He stopped to listen a bit longer when he heard a strange note the was out of tune followed by a curse word from a familiar voice. What that Dan?

Phil gently opened the door to reveal Dan's back turned from him. Apparently he didn't notice Phil's presence because he started playing another song a few moments later.

Phil was utterly mesmerized by his talent. When Dan had finished playing Phil spoke. "I didn't know you could play the piano."

Dan froze and turned to meet Phil's eyes. His face was bright pink with embarrassment and Phil immediately regret speaking.

"H-how long were you listening?" Dan asked, stuttering slightly.

"Does it matter? You play beautifully." Phil said in an amazed tone.

"Not really.. I just took some lessons as kid before I had the inci-" Dan froze and a flash of fear showed in his eyes.

"Before what?" Phil asked, clearly picking up on what he meant, but asking regardless.

"Nothing.. It's not important." Dan chuckled weakly.

Phil knew that he was hiding something, but instead gave a soft sigh. "Can you play another song?" Phil asked after a few moments of silence.

"Do I have to?" Dan whined.

Phil thought it was extremely cute and childish of Dan and couldn't help but grin at the other boy's protest. "Please?" Phil begged, giving Dan puppy eyes.

Dan groaned and said, "Fine, but only one song." Dan turned to face the piano and skimmed the keys with his fingers before starting.

Phil noted the song he played to be Ingenue, by Thom Yorke. He quietly listened to the beautiful music, savoring the peaceful moment.

When Dan had finished, Phil's eyes were shining and the two stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before the music hall doors flew open.

The person that walked in was a strange man nearly as tall as Phil himself. He had dark brown, messy hair and he wore a long black coats and black studded boots. He looked like he was in his 30s, and he shot a glare at Dan before stopping.

"Dan, I'd like to see you in my office please." The man said. His voice was deep and slightly scratchy. It was toned with a hint of malice and Phil already had a bad vibe from him.

Dan glared back at this man unflinchingly and said, "It's pretty late. Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

Phil noticed that Dan's question sounded more like a challenge than a suggestion.

The man narrowed his eyes and replied, "it's probably best if we settle this now. You don't want anyone getting hurt now, do you?"

Dan's eyes burned with fiery and he sat up from where he was sitting, turned to Phil and said, "I'll be right back." 

And with that, Dan and the strange man left the music hall with unbearable tension. Phil wasn't sure whether he should wait in the music room or go back to his dorm, but ended up leaving, seeing as it was 8pm. 

Dan didn't get back until 1 in the morning, and Phil sat up from where he lay in bed to greet Dan.

"You're still up?" Dan croaked, as if all the energy he once had was drained out of him.

"Yeah.. I was worried." Phil said hesitantly, not sure how Dan would react.

Dan simply walked over to his bed only to end in a bout of coughing. Phil immediately got out of his position and moved over to Dan.

Phil motioned to Dan's forehead, silently asking for permission to check is temperature. Dan must have noticed this because he gave a slight nod.

Phil gently placed his hand on Dan's forehead and around his cheek only to find that he had a fever. Phil got extremely worried at this point.

"What happened after you left the music hall?" Phil asked, half-expecting an answer from the nearly unconscious Dan.

"Nothing." Dan croaked. He had laid down on his bed, while Phil sat beside him at the edge.

"Dan.." Phil started, "I know you're lying, and honestly, you're not very good at it." Phil gave a small chuckle when he had finished.

Dan sighed, "I can't tell you."

"Why not? You can tell me anything."

"Because.. I don't want you to leave."

Phil was taken aback by Dan's response, but smiled. "I would never leave you. You can always confide in me."

Dan stared at Phil for a few moments longer before he rasped, "I think I like you."


	4. Fire Burns Brighter In The Dark

Phil woke up the following morning at 10pm only to find a sleeping Dan in the same bed as him. He was at first confused, but soon enough remembered the recent events. Dan had revealed that he had feelings for Phil.

Phil had pushed the confession to the back of his mind, excusing it because of Dan's state at the time. It was clear that he had caught a cold, and because of this, he most likely was not thinking of what he was saying.

Phil turned his head slightly to look at Dan who was sleeping quietly next to him. He's so peaceful when he sleeps, Phil thought mindlessly. 

When he had realized what he was thinking, he quickly tried to extinguish the thought. How could I possibly have any feelings towards Dan? Maybe as a friend, but..

Phil paused his thinking when Dan let out a groan. At this, Phil immediately, yet very carefully so not to wake Dan, put his hand on his forehead. His fever had faintly decreased, but he was still extremely hot.

Phil lay back down and covered both of them with his blue and green duvet, hoping to get a bit more rest before Dan officially woke.

By the time Phil was awake once more, Dan was gone. He sat up and first noticed a note on his nightstand. Still blinking the sleep from his eyes, he picked up the note and skimmed through it.

Went out out to get some  
fresh air, be back soon.

Phil sighed and got out of bed. He walked to his wardrobe to start getting ready for his visit with his parents. Although it had only been a month since seeing them, he felt terribly homesick.

Phil checked his clock once more and found that he still had an hour to spare before he had to meet with his family. He ended up going to the campus shopping center to check out some of the other shops besides the overrated cafe he always went to and the bookstore he had visited multiple times.

He noticed a shop that sold anime merchandise and made a mental note to visit it later. He continued walking through the rather large shopping center when he came across another cafe shop taking the name of Treehill Coffee.

Through the window, he saw his two friends, Chris and PJ, chatting. Being fairly bored during that morning, he made the decision to go sit with them.

"Hey, Phil!" Called Chris as soon as Phil entered the small, cozy coffee shop.

"Hey guys." Phil said, making his way to the duo.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" PJ asked, his mouth full of bagel.

"Not yet." Phil responded, and if on cue, his stomach started to growl.

"Sounds like you could use it." Chris said with kindness edging his tone, "You can have my cinnamon roll. I'm full anyway."

Phil thanked his two friends and sat down beside PJ to listen to their conversation.

"So, as I was saying, I think it's best if we--" PJ started, but Phil had zoned out, lost in his own swirling pool of thoughts.

What will my meeting with my parents be like? Should I have gone looking for Dan when I found his note? He has a cold, surely he should stay in bed. Am I overreacting?

"Phil?" Chris asked questioningly.

"Y-yes?" Phil stuttered, being drawn from his thoughts and his attention turned.

"Are you okay? You're trembling." This time PJ spoke.

"Fine.. I'm just cold." Phil replied briefly before shuffling his feet uncomfortably, clearly not liking the sudden change of topic.

"Cold? But it's barely 73 degre-"

Phil cut him off by standing and heading towards the coffee shop entrance. "I have to go." Phil called to his friends, and he hesitated before adding, "I'll see you guys later."

Phil vaguely remembered them returning his goodbye, but he wasn't too concerned over it. His parent's visit was in 10 minutes and he still needed to sign in at reception in order to be allowed visitors.

He had been walking for 2 minutes when he finally entered the office building.

"Hello, Phil. I assume you're here for your parent's visit?" Said the same receptionist he had met numerous times before, yet he still didn't know her name.

"Hi, and yes, I am." Phil responded, an unsure smile playing his face.

"Alright, just sign in here and go to the room on my right." She motioned to two large doors.

Phil walked over to a clipboard that was titled 'Visitors List' at the top. He signed his name and headed towards the large, brown doors that apparently led to the visiting hall.

Before he left, however, he asked, "I never got your name."

"Oh, yes. I'm Mrs. Jones, but you can call me Kathy."

Phil gave a faint nod, made a mental note of her name, and left through the ominous doors.

When he entered the room, he noticed multiple tables and chairs and various groups of parents and kids chatting. He was glad he wasn't the only one here.

Inside the room, he observed it to be plain white with two windows on the north and west walls. When he searched the area, he recognized a familiar woman.

"Mum!" Phil exclaimed with absolute joy. When his eyes glanced to the left, he found his dad. He looked less excited to see Phillip.

"Phil!" His mum said cheerfully. She sat up and gave him a hug before bombarding him with questions.

"How are your classes? Have you made any friends? Is the food good here?"

"Mom," Phil began, "Slow down. I can only answer so much at once."

Phil chuckled.

"Of course. Your father and I miss you very much." His mum said with a slight bit of sorrow tainting her tone of voice. "Have you been happy here?"

Phil stared at her for few seconds before smiling and nodding. When he really thought about it, he was happy. He had made a generous amount of friends, he was doing well in his classes, and he loved the academy he went to.

"That's good. Have you met anyone -- specifically special?" His mum said, clearly thinking about her choice of wording.

Phil gave a swift glance at his father only to find that he had turned his head so that he didn't make any eye-contact whatsoever.

As usual, Phil carried the sudden weight of guilt and disappoint. He couldn't help that he liked guys; he was born like this.

"N-no.." Phil's voice shook. "Not anyone in particular."

His mum shot him a sympathetic look before changing the topic to a more school-related conversation.

They chatted for 2 hours before his parents had finally decided to head back. Phil wasn't exactly sad to see them go, but he still felt a large emptiness inside his stomach that he couldn't fill no matter how much he tried.

It being almost dark and extremely cold outside, Phil rushed towards the dorm buildings, only slowing when they were in sight. Phil let out a breathy sigh and watched as his breath evaporated into the cold night air.

Phil had made his way to the campus park, seeing a few kids his age out and about. All he had to do was get through here and he'd be back in his warm, cozy dorm.

He turned his head and gazed at the multiple teenagers sitting on benches or just chatting on the grass. There was a large fountain in the very middle of the park where he noticed a girl tossing a coin in.

Louise, Phil thought, remembering her name from his English class. She had blonde hair with pink tips and she wore a bright pink dress with a white knitted sweater. She seemed nice from what Phil had seen. They had never been fully introduced, but they often smiled at each other whenever passing one another in the school halls.

Phil continued his walk and eventually found himself walking on the dirt path leading towards the dorms. He looked up at the sky to find a pool of stars shining.

He couldn't help but awe in admiration at the beautiful sky; He always had a weak spot for astronomy.

"Hey, Lester."

Phil was snapped back into reality and turned around to see three rather large guys standing only a few feet away from him. Completely taken aback by the sudden greeting, he found it hard to search for any words as a response.

One of the guys growled in a low voice, while another glared through narrowed eyes at Phil; This instantly reminded him of Dan when they first met. However, a viscous smile played the face of the middle guy.

Phil suppressed the urge to run away and instead replied with a stutter. "Y-yes?"

The middle guy took a few paces forward until him and Phil's faces were only inches apart.

"You're Phil Lester?" He said with a grin.

"Y-yeah." Phil tried to move a step back, but realized that he was frozen to the spot.

"You're not at all what I though you'd look like. Then again, the boss said you looked weak." He snickered

"Can we get the job over with already? The boss isn't going to like our stalling." Said one of the guys that stood to the right.

"W-what job?" Phil asked hesitantly, not sure whether he wanted an answer. Just as he asked this, the middle Guy's grin spread even further at Phil's unknowingness.

Phil watched as the first two guys took out sharpened knives and he could feel his eyes growing wide. Immediately, as if on instinct, he ran. The closest refuge he could find was a nearby forest which he wasn't too thrilled about.

Phil glanced over his shoulder only to find the three guys chasing him, all nearly 3 feet away. If he wanted to out-run them, he'd have to be faster. As the large, darkening forest appeared, Phil ran in.

He found it very troubling navigating through the thick brambles and sharp branches that hit his face as he rushed through them.

He looked back once more to find that he was no longer being followed. His bewilderment grew when his foot caught on something and he tripped. He groaned in pain only to find that his foot had gotten stuck in between two tree roots.

He tried to get back up, but his attempts failed miserably as he had sprained his ankle. All his efforts ended in a fit of pain running up his leg.

He slowly backed in to the corner of a tree and stayed as quiet as possible. Maybe they gave up? Phil thought hopefully, but his hope was suddenly drained when three faces appeared around him.

"You're quite fast." One of them said.

"But not fast enough." Chuckled the second.

"Let's get this over with. I'm exhausted and the sooner he's gone, the better." The middle guy said, signaling with his hand to start moving forward.

"You're going to kill me?" Phil squeaked.

"Pretty much." The first chuckled. "It's nothing against you, though. It's more of a punishment for Dan."

"Enough talk." The middle guy spoke up, seeming much older with his ragged, scratchy voice.

Phil called out for help as he felt tears stream down his face. Closing his eyes shut he prayed for someone, anyone to come and save him.

This was it. 

This was the end.

Suddenly, as if answering his prayers, he heard a blood curdling screech and felt waves of heat hit him.

He looked up and saw his three attackers aflame and Dan standing in front of him, his gaze locked on the three guys.

After a few moments, Dan turned and made eye-contact with Phil. An overwhelming calmness washed over him at the sight of the beautiful, brown eyes that were full of concern.

"D-Dan?" Phil said, feeling light headed at the heat and smoke.

"Save your breath." Dan whispered.

Phil vaguely remembered Dan picking him up and carrying him out of the forest, but everything after was a blur.

Dan had saved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't as well written. I was dealing with writers block and wasn't sure how I wanted to write this scene, but now that I have, I have big plans for the next few chapters (:


	5. The Aching Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, if you read Second Chance, my other Dan and Phil phanfiction, please know that I might not upload chapters that follow my current schedule (I normally upload every Saturday and Sunday). I've been dealing with writer's block and I've recently been writing 3 other stories on my Wattpad (xlntnat). I will try to upload as frequently as possible, but chapters may not come out as soon as you may hope.
> 
> (Please note that this does not mean I am canceling any story of such sort. I will continue writing whenever I feel most comfortable and inspired.)

Phil let out a whimper as Dan set him down gently on his bed, wrapping him in his blue-green duvet. His clothes were singed in multiple places by the fire he had been caught in with Dan.

"I'm sorry." Dan whispered, sitting next to Phil.

"F-for what?" Phil asked, ending in a bout of coughing.

"For dragging you down with me. I tried to protect you, but ended up hurting you." 

"You didn't hurt me, Dan." Phil said reassuringly.

"You almost got killed because of me!" Dan said in a whisper shout.

Phil winced at the sudden change of volume in Dan's voice, but smiled. He looked up at the beautiful boy sitting beside him and admired the way he shone in the moonlight.

"It's alright." Phil began stroking Dan's silky-smooth hair and drew Dan into a tight hug.

After a few moments, he felt Dan's arms wrap around him and the two lay back, never separating from their embrace. When Dan finally did pull back, he was lying on top of Phil.

"Dan?" Phil asked, but before he could say anything more, his lips were locked into a passionate kiss with Dan.

Phil didn't resist. In fact, he continued the action further by kissing his neck, which made Dan shutter slightly.

Dan moaned at Phil's gentle, tender kisses before pulling away from Phil and staring into his beautiful, blue eyes. "S-sorry.." 

Phil stared up at Dan's eyes with an equal amount of admiration before frowning at Dan's apologetic demeanor "For what?"

"For kissing you." Dan said, shifting his head so not to make eye-contact.

"What do you mean?" Phil asked, genuinely confused. "I-I liked it.. didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did.. that's the problem." Dan said, a new emotion glinting his eyes. Regret?

"Dan.." Phil sighed.

"Phil.. I don't want to hurt you." Dan said in an almost inaudible whisper before standing up from where he lay.

"You're not going to hurt me, Dan." Phil said, standing up as well.

"Don't you see it? You could've died in that fire. No, those three men could've killed you." Dan stated.

"But they didn't, and do you know why? Because you saved me." Phil said sternly.

They looked at each other before Dan turned and walked to the door. "I.. I just need some time to think."

Phil didn't protest; Dan needed time to deal with whatever was on his mind.

Phil crawled back into his bed and cuddled up to his duvet, trying to fall asleep, but his concern for Dan was too important.

He glanced over to Dan's empty bed and stared at his Winnie the Pooh bear sitting in front of his pillow without a care.

"I'm sorry, Dan." Phil whispered before drifting off into a deep sleep.

-

Phil woke to a vigorous shaking to his shoulder. Dan? Phil thought hopefully, but when he opened his eyes, he only saw PJ and Chris standing above him.

"What do you want?" Phil grumbled, turning over so his back was to his friends.

"Mate, you gotta get up." PJ said.

"You're going to be late to class if you continue to sleep any longer. We've probably already missed breakfast by now." Chris concluded.

"Do I have to?" Phil whined, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I guess not, but it's not me who's going to fail." PJ said with a chuckle before motioning to Chris to leave.

Phil sighed and recalled the events of last night. Dan had saved him, kissed him, and left all in one night.

Maybe it's for the best, Phil thought. He stretched his arms and got out of bed, preparing himself for the long day of school he had. When he had finished getting dressed and fixing his messy bed hair, he quickly left for class. 

He passed his regular cafe, but decided that he didn't have time to stop for breakfast. When he did get to class, half of the people were already there. He saw Chris, Cat and Louise sitting near the front.

He shot a hopeful glance at Dan's supposed seat, only frowning when his eyes did not lay on the brown-haired boy.

Phil sighed and continued to his seat next to Louise. "Hello!" She greeted him with more enthusiasm than he would have thought from her.

"Hi." Phil greeted back with a nervous chuckle. "Louise, right? I'm Phil."

"I know." She replied. "I've seen you hanging with Chris and Peej."

"Oh, of course." Phil laughed. The bell rang and class began. Only an hour and a half to go before he had a free period. 

The time went by quite slowly and Phil found himself often zoning out multiple times during his English lecture.

"Mr. Lester, if you could please join us today, that would be great." His teacher called out sternly, almost everyone's eyes being turned on him.

"S-sorry." Phil stuttered. He glanced over to Louise to find that she was giving him a sweet, sympathetic smile.

Once the bell rang signaling that class was over, Phil was the first out the door; He had to find Dan.

He rushed through the crowded halls desperately checking each face to see if one of them was Dan's. Suddenly, a picture flashed in his mind. The music room.

Phil pushed through the many students and found himself stumbling into the music room and falling into a body.

"Phil?" Dan asked, seeming  surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Dan!" Phil said in exasperation, suddenly blushing at the position they were in. He immediately got up and proceeding saying, "I was looking everywhere for you.. I wanted to talk about last night."

Dan frowned. "There's nothing to talk about." 

"But there is! Why did you say that-" Phil was cut off by a buzzing coming from Dan's phone.

"Hello?" Dan said, answering the call. "Right now? Okay, I understand.."

"Who was that?" Phil asked after Dan hung up, tilting his head.

"I have to go. We'll talk later, okay? I promise." Dan said, nearly out the door.

"But.." Phil started, but Dan was already gone. Something within Phil was telling him to follow Dan, but what would happen if he was caught? He guessed he'd deal with the consequences later.

Phil sneaked out the door and followed Dan's trail through the school, to the school gardens, and finally into the forest.

He heard a loud murmuring coming from a few feet ahead. Phil poked his head behind a tree and saw Dan walking by himself, silently ranting.

"Always having me do his dirty work." Dan said with anger clouding his voice.

Who? Phil thought desperately, but he decided to continue following in order to get more information.

After 5 minutes of stalking Dan, the two entered into a clear, grassy field with a large house sitting in the middle; He assume it was a farm.

"Here I am." Dan said with a sigh, still talking to himself. "I just want to get this over with."

Phil watched from the trees and bracken as Dan approached the house. He was confused at what he saw. Dan stared in concentration at the house for a few moments, nothing effective happening.

With fear lighting his eyes, he saw the large house ignite with flames. 

F-flames? How? Dan wasn't holding any sort of light source. Phil thought frighteningly.

"Phil?" Phil was snapped out of his thoughts and saw Dan's figure standing in front of him. 

He immediately fell back and desperately tried to crawl away from Dan, but couldn't move. He was frozen to the spot in fear. 

"Y-you.." Phil stammered on his words, taken aback by what had just happened. "How d-did you do that?"

"I didn't want you to find out like this." Dan said. "Please don't be scared." He pleaded.

"You set that house on fire! I have a right to be scared." Phil shouted, harsher than he intended.

"I know." Dan frowned. "Can you please come back to the dorm with me and I can explain everything?"

Phil hesitated for a few moments before nodding his head and getting up.

He looked into Dan's pleading, chocolately brown eyes and couldn't help but smile.

Whatever fear he was feeling had melted away.


End file.
